Feed chute for potato chip machines



July 7, 1953 B. STAHMER FEED CHUTE FOR POTATO CHIP MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1950 July 7, 1953 B. STAHMER CHUTE FORPOTATO CHIP MACHINES 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed March 22, 1950 INVENTOR.

' BY amam sure . vide tion.

Patented July 7, 1953 FEED oHU'r- FO-BPOTATO CHIP MACHINE-S BernhardtStahmer, Omaha, Nebr. Application March 22, 1950, Serial No 151,230

1 7 This invention relates to potato chip slicing machines and moreparticularly it is an object oif'this invention to provide an improvedfeed chute'for delivering-potatoes to "such a machine Slicing: 4 LI p IA p'a'rt-icularobject-0i the invention isito p'ro ing potatoesto thecutter inthe slicing machine described in the applicants prior patentapplication titled' 'Eccentric Potato Slicer, Serial Number 35,611,filed" June 28; 1948, now Pat. #2561248. v 7 1 fI'n a slicing machinehaving a round feed chute, 'such'a's described in the patent issuedDecember 17, 1935,,to G. F. Goodman, Jr., titled Machine for MakingPotato Chips, No. 2,024,353, the potato'is-free to twist cr -rotate inthe chute dur- "ing cutting. This is-the cause of considerable waste. r

As an improvement upon the chute described fin'the'Goodman patent, theapplicant has excline dl y disposed with respect to the vertical forfeeding-potatoes to cutters revolving ina vertical plane.

""KTTheV; shaped wall permitted potatoes to fall downwardlywithsufficient speed and tended to prevent rotation of the potatoes. Ithad a great disadvantage,'- however, in that smaller potatoes tended tofallout past the cutters since the feed opening of my machine is notdisposed so as to, be cove'redat all times by the cutter as is the casewith the Goodman machine. difficult to see how this problem could besolved.

an" improvement in the means fordeliver- I 7 A wall disposed back of thefeed i opening and of a V shape was tried.

It was very 4 Claims. (01. 146-48) potatoes wedged into the groovesunderthe pressure of the knife,'holding into the grooves in such a mannerthat the potato would not'rfall down! Still other attempts including thegluing of sandpaper upon the chute surface. and also the "roughening'of' the surface 'in' other manners.

These were unsuccessful because it is necessary that the potato movedownwardly with itsfresh- 1y cut surface always in parallelism with thecutters. The rough surfaces tended to trip the lower backward side ofthe potato,--causingthe top of the potato to fall forwardly toward-thecutters. 'In this manner, the potatoes tipp d over and poor chipswere'formed.

After much thought, experiment, and great expense the problem wassolved. This was acv complished only after many machines had been sold.v

The chute of this invention was then conceived;' It will accommodatepotatoes as large perimehted with chutes having bottom walls in n as the'V chute did and-yet will retain small-potatoes, preventing them fromfalling uncut past the'blades. v '"It is, therefore, an object of thisinvention to 7 provide a potato feed chute having a multiangle back wallwhereby a maximum sized 130-- tato can be accommodated in achute havinga minimum of opening size, with a minimum of "potato rotation andgood'potatov falling speed.

Still another object of thei'nvention is to provide a potato feed chuteas specifically described and shown.

' j Experiments were next made with feed chutes" havingijsmaller openingsizes but larger chute volume for' receiving large potatoes, yetprevent- "ng small potatoes from .falling out. The first such attemptswere made with a chute having a back wall of semi-circular horizontalcross sec- Upwardly and downwardly extending ridges were placed on thewall so as to prevent rotation of thepot'ato chips.

The shape of the chute must necessarily be tapering to smaller sizeat'its lower end be- ""Yet' another object is to provide a feed chutehaving at least/four surfaces disposed c'onse'cu' tively, side-by-lside;each at an'an'gle with re sp'ect to the others.

1 .1 Yet-another object of the invention is top'rovide a device for thepurpose describedwhich is sturdy and durable in" construction, reliableand elhcient in operation, and-relatively simple and inexpensive to'man'ufacture, assemble and utilize. e

, Yet a further object of this invention is to pro vide a feed chutehaving a larger upper cavity disposed in communication with "the outletopening for holding 'la-r-ge' potato portions during cutting and asmaller'cavitydisposed beneath the larger 'cavity for receivingpotato-remnants as the latter fall downwardly from thelarger into thesmaller cavity, the back wall of the smaller cavity being disposed atasubstantially lesser inclination with respect to the vertical than theback wall of the larger cavity.

Another object of the invention to provide a feed chute having a smallercavity as described which latter is of a larger size at its upper endthan at its lower end.

Another object is to provide a feed chute having a smaller cavity asdescribed, the upper edge of the wall of which is convexially rounded.

A further object is to provide a feed chute having a smaller cavity asdescribed, the back .wall of which is formed of two portions disposedone of each side of the outlet opening. Y

Other and still further objects and advan-- tages of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof. 7 j

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of potato chip'mathereof broken away, aportion'of a hopper bottom and wall being broken away, the out-- line ofthe remainder of the wall being indicated in dotted lines. Anotherportion of the wall and of the hopper which is disposed above a chute ofthe invention being broken away and indicated only in dotted lines, forclarityof-illustration of the chute. V

A portion of a drive belt is shown,- it being understood that thelatterisconnected to driving means not shown. I v

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the hopper shown in Figure 1 showing themanner in which it is secured to frame members of the machine, thelatter being partially shown in cross section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the lower end of the hopper takenalong the line 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a frontal elevation of the lower portion of the hopper. h

Figure 5 is a frontal elevation of the upper portion of the machine, aportion of the hopper being broken away to show the aperturein thebottom of the hopper through which potatoes pass to the upper end of thechute. Certain portions of the knife carrying memberswhich overlap thechute are broken away and are shown in dotted lines for further showing.the chute. i

The potato chip machine of this invention is best seen in .top plan viewin Figure 1 and includes an outer covering or frame ,I0 on the top ofwhich a circularhopper having a vertically disposed side wall I2 isprovided.

The hopper I2 has a bottom I4 disposed in a horizontal plane, the bottomI4 having an opening therethrough as seen at I6 in Figure 5. The openingborders the ;upper rear-ward edges of a feed chute generally indicatedat 20.

The chute 20, laterinore fullydescribed, is adapted to convey potatoesdownwardly from the hopper to a position adjacent the corrugated cuttingknives 26 of the machine. The cutting knives 26 are disposed extendingoutwardly from slots 32 in the ends of two knife carrying members 30.Qne of. the slots can be clearly seen at 32in Figure 1.

The blades 26 are disposed on the rearward side of the members30 wherebychips :skived from a potato in the chute are adapted. to pass betweenthe knives 26, andthe member 30, through the slots 32, and dropped toreceiving means not shown. The members 30 are carried by axles 40 whichlatter are .mounted in bearings 42 whichlatter are secured to a floor 50of the slicer by straps 52, blocks 54 and 56andbolts 58 Each knifecarrying member 30 is provided with a recess 40 to the rearward sidethereof for receiving a forward portion of a positioning member 12. Thelatter are secured to the shafts 40 and are provided with pins 16extending therethrough for reception in bores 80 through the members 30.The pins 16 also extend through washer 82 disposed on the forward sidesof members 30. Each member 30 is further provided "with asmaller washer88 between washers 82' and nuts'90 which latter secure the members tothe shafts 40.

The shafts 40 are each provided with a pinion 08 in me sh with otherpinions I00 on a. third shaft I02. The shaft I02 i disposed transverselyof the shafts 40 and is mounted in bearingsl04 secured in place bystraps I06 on blocks I08 by bolts IIO. Spacing collars II6 are providedfor spacing the pinions I00 apart from the blocks I08.

On one end the shaft I02 is provided with a pulley I30 held in place bya bolt I34 and washers I36. The pulley I30 is provided with a belt i30which latter is secured to any suitable driving means, not shown. 7

Asbest seen inFigure 2, thechute 20 is preferably made as a casingformed integral with mounting portions I50 and I 52.v The latter aredisposed at a right angle to each other and uphold the chute with theassistance of a third portion, the reinforcing web I54. The latter isdisposed in a plane at right angles to the planes of the portions I50and I52 and engages the lower end of the chute 20 rearwardly of thepoints engaged between portions I52. I

The portion I50 is secured bymeans of bolts I56 to the floor 50 of themachine and the forward Wall I60 is shown in Figure 2 extendingdownwardly from and disposed around the chute casting. V

r The chute casting is provided with a forwardmost edge surface I10which has lower straight portions I12 which are disposed on oppositesides of the hopper delivery opening I14, the portions I12 beingdisposed in an upstanding V, converging downwardly toward each other andjoined at their; lower ends. The said forwardmost edge I10 is furtherprovided with two other portions I16 which latter extend in parallelismwith each other upwardly from the upper ends of the portions I12. Theforward side of the chute is further provided with an outwardly.extending flange-I which latter is disposed in parallelismfwith. theopening ,I14,

which latter is preferably disposed in a substantially vertical plane.The. flange I80. is disposed slightly rearwar dly of. the forwardmostedge I107and is of a uniformwidth in its upper portion flaring outwardlyto a greater width at its lower end. v

The feed chute 201s provided with aback wall disposed opposite thedelivery opening I14. The said wall is provided Withat least four,preferably approximately fiat, surfaces 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, and 2I0as best seenin Figure l. The said surfaces are disposed side-by-sideconsecutively as seen in horizontalsectionor in top plan view. Thesurfaces 200 to 208' have adjoining edges 2 I 2 disposedextending'upwardly and d wardly at an inclination with respect to thevertical. g r The joining edges 2I 0 ofthe innermost-wall surfaces 202,204; 206, and 208 are disposed'converging toward eachother and. toward.thedeacumen :It .wmbe seen thatwhen the surfaces-L204 and 20B; are" inengagement with a potato they 'will tend tol'pr'event' thelatterfmmrotating. This is possible because the surfacesf202-and '204, andsurfaces 206 and 208 also are not joined mason tinuou-s arc. 1 s

4 This constructioncauses an edge tobe in contact with the Wall at .twopoints on :the potato.

If 'the wall were round-the potat'o would tend to Ski Q1 Ol'i bile Ofits irregular protrusions rotating another way of 'definingithepreferable chute shape-is to say that theadjoinihg edge portions or thetwo innermost omens-and 206-, and preferably also of the .otherinnermost" surraces-fzoz and Raarespaced ap-art-rrom tnedeiivery opetrig 114- a substantially greater distance 'than inn mediately adjacentportions o'f' said surfaces so' engage said adjoining edges. It will beseen that when theremnant is being cut wh ereby;the-;rem

if the potatowere able toengagethe adjoining edges, the' constructionwould -be:oi1e having ridges; If such ridges converged toward each otherat their lower ends they would impede the fall of potatoes. Thechute isprovided with:

, two opening area reducing -sur faces 206 and 2-10 which are preferablydisposed-in approximate parallelism with each other, preferablyextending rearward ly'at a right angle with respect to the chuteopening. H4. The surfaces 290 and .2|0 aredisposed near to a right"angle 'wit'hrespect to the plane of the opening H4" than are thesurfaces-202, 204, 206, and/2 08. The. suriaces 2B01an d 2l0 are, asbests n infligure s gene 5, disposed only atthe upp U rid of the chute.Q The purpose of thefs'urTaces-ZHB andfzill is toreduce the opening areato a greater extent than would be if the surfaces '2 ii2. 'and 208continued their same directions until they join the plane to the opening[14. The provision of the surfaces purpose o'fpreventing smallerpotatoesfr'omfalling out of the opening at times when the opening isnotcovered by the knife-carriers ,1

As explained previously, the multi-angle back wall of the chute 20 isfor the purpose of receiving a potato of maximum size, preventingexcessive rotation of the potato, and yet providing a nant' is;supported with its face; parallelirto t the path. of I the. knives...The .convexiallyzcurved or roundediofi edge 2ii2 is so constructed:forthe purposeof guiding the remnantlinto the'recesses 2 30 as itfallsby gravity downwardly in the chute. At the lowere'ndof the chute oneachsside of the apex 220 it will be noticed thatthe'outwardly flaredflange portion I82 and theup'ri'ght struc mural-portion I52 join eachother as indicated by a line '250 in 'F-igure '2. 1 This invention hasprovided feed chute" for? a potato slicing machine which is-particularlyadapted to achieve an optimum-balance between the desired factorsinvolved, which -latter in providecljwith a wall having-two portions asin-- dicat ed by the two wallsof 'the-recessZBiI.

The wall-portions of the smaller 'disposed at alesser inclination withrespect to nants, the smaller cavity is for' hold g 'sm l 'potatoremnants.

1200 and 21!) reduces the opening area for the the vertical andwithrespect to the; hopper openin}; I'M than'arethe'walls 202 170298inclusive, of the larger upper cavity. The upper cavity is for holdinglarge potatoes and large iaotato rem From the foregoing description-1tisbought to be obvious that a feed chutefor potato chip machinesconstructed accordance; with 'my in vention is particularly welladapted'for use, by reasons: the convenience and facilitywith whichit'fmay be assembled and opera-ted, and it f will also be obvious thatmy invention is susceptible of some change and modification withoutdepart- 'ing from the principleg and spirit'thereofi'and for this'reason'I do not wish to be' understood'as feed opening of a size smallenough to prevent the unwanted escape of smaller potatoes. v

As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, the chute is provided with anapproximately V-shaped lower section as seen in frontal'elevation,bounded on two opposite sides by the two inclinedly disposed wallportions 202 andl208, which have a downwardly disposed apex-52,20, Thewallportions 202 and 208 each have elongated terminal edges I12] ontheir forward side. The terminal edges I12 are each provided with anelongated shallow recess 230 adjacent the apex 220 and extend along theedges I12.

The recesses 23!! are each cut from and into elongated forward terminaledge disposed in said that elongated corner of the respective one of theedges H2 which corner is disposed adjacent the openingl'ld. V Therecesses 230 are each concavally curved in a direction in alignment withits respective elongated corner. Each recess 230 is approximately flatin a direction transverse to its respective elongated corner preferably,with the exception that the innermost edges .232 of the recesses 230 arebeveled convexially' and are in other words rounded ofi. The purpose ofthe recesses 230 are to receive the thin lastremnantoi a potato and. toform a backing therefor at times limiting myself to the preciseamagenientaaa formation of the several parts herein shown in, carryingout my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim: f

l. In a potato slicing machine: a chute for holding potatoes while thelatter are being cut,

said chute having an opening disposed in an approximately verticalplane, said opening'having an approximately 'V-shaped lower section asseen in frontal elevation, said lower section being bounded on twooppositesides by two inclinedly disposed wall portions having adownwardly disposed apex, said wall portions each having an plane, saidedges each having an elongated shallow recess therein adjacent said apexand extending along said ed e, said recesses each being in thatelongated corner of the respective one of said edges which cornerisdisposed adjacent said delivery opening, said recesses each beingconcavally curved in ,a direction in alignment with its respectiveelongated corner, and said recesses each being approximately flat in adirection transverse to its respective elongated corner withtheexception that the innermost edges of said recesses are bevelledconvexedly.

2.111 a' potato slicing machine: a chute for holding potatoes while thelatter are being cut,

a said chute having an opening disposed inan approximately verticalplane, said opening having cavity are in frontal elevation, said lowersection being bounded on two opposite sides by two inclinedly disposedwall portions having a downwardly disposed apex, said wall portions eachhaving an elongated forward terminal edge disposed in, said plane, saidedges each having an elongated shallow recess therein adjacent said apexand extending along said edge, said recesses each being in thatelongated corner of the respective one of said edges which corner isdisposed adjacent said delivery opening, said recesses each beingconcavally curved in a direction in alignment with its respectiveelongated corner, and said recesses each being approximately flat in adirection transverse to' its respective elongated corner.

3. In a potato slicing machine: a chute for holding potatoes while thelatter are being cut, said chute having an opening disposed in anapproximately vertical plane, said opening having an approximatelyV-shaped lower section asseen in frontal elevation, said lower sectionbeing bounded on two opposite sides by two inclinedly disposed wallportions having a downwardly disposed apex, said wall portions eachhaving an elongated forward terminal edge disposed in said plane, saidedges each having an elongated shallow recess therein adjacent said apexand extending along said edge, said recesses each being in thatelongated corner Of the respective one of said edges which corner isdisposed adjacent said delivery opening, and said recesses each beingconcavally curved in a direction in alignment with its respectiveelongated corner.

4. In a machine for slicing rollable objects, a chute for holding saidrollable objects while the same are being sliced, said chute having anopening for receiving said objects and a delivery opening for deliveringsaid objects for slicing, said chute having a first cavity disposed incommunication with said openings, said first cavity converging from alarger upper end to a smaller lower end and having a rear wall which isdisposed opposite the plane of the delivery opening 8 and beinginclinedly disposed with respect to the .veritcal, said first cavityhaving opposite side walls converging towards each other at the lowerend, saidchute having a set of second cavities of smaller size than thefirst cavity and formed respectively in said side walls in communicationwith and adjacent to the lower end of said first cavity, said second setof cavities each having a rear wall opposite the plane of the deliveryopening and disposed at a lesser inclination with respect to thevertical than the rear wall of the first cavity, said rear walls of saidset of second cavities being spaced at a lesser distance from the planeof said delivery opening than the rear wall of said first cavity isspaced from the plane of said delivery opening, said rear wall of thefirst cavity having at least four surfaces disposed side-by-sideconsecutively as seen in horizontal section, said surfaces beingapproximately fiat and each being angularly disposed with respect toeach other and to the plane of the delivery opening as seen inhorizontal section, said surfaces having adjoining edges disposedextending upwardly and downwardly at an inclination with respect to thevertical, and the lower ends of said adjoining edges being disposedconverging towards each other and towards said delivery opening.

BERNHARDT STAHMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 635,450 Thompson Oct. 24, 1899 1,395,369 Stoddard et al Nov.1, 1921 1,806,105 Koepf May 19, 1931 1,811,743 Bromberg June 23, 19312,406,107 Quinn Aug. 20, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date425,375 Germany Feb. 18, 1926 503,436 Germany July 31, 1930 285,889Italy May 25, 1931

